Player
by aznlove806
Summary: Ikuto is a playboy, dating girls left and right; actually, he doesn't give a damn about anyone or anything. (Or does he?) His parents work day and night, allowing him to do whatever he pleases. But what will happen when a certain pinkette shows up and opens his eyes to the world around him?
1. Intro

**AN: I'm back with a new story! :D I know I haven't finished my other story yet, but this idea just won't leave my mind. It's all told in Ikuto's point of view, unless stated otherwise. Sorry for those of you reading my other story; as you've probably noticed, it's on hiatus. That story just wasn't getting anywhere . And I've written several chapters for this story, so I decided to update it.**

**Now, without further ado, let's get started.**

_Summary: Ikuto is a playboy, dating girls left and right; actually, he doesn't give a damn about anyone or anything. His parents work day and night, allowing him to do whatever he pleases. But what will happen when a certain pinkette shows up and opens his eyes to the world around him? _

Our lips melded together, as if one. My hands naturally snaked around her waist as I pulled her closer to me. I deepened our kiss and she responded with a low purr as she tried to get as close to me as possible.

"Ikuto, stop makin' out and let's go already." Utau said, irritated.

Utau yanked me off of my current girlfriend.

"Dude, what's your problem?" I practically shout. At the moment, I was picking Utau up from school since she couldn't drive yet. Was it such a bad thing to kiss your own girlfriend?

"My problem is _you._ Now hurry up." Utau shot back.

"You're takin' the bus next time." I muttered, getting into the driver's seat. Kiki, my girlfriend was going to get into the passenger seat, before Utau shoved her aside.

"_I_ get shotgun." Utau said.

"Pull another one of those and I'm dumping you out on the darkest alley I find." I growled. I turned the key and the engine of my BMW roared to life.

"Sorry Kiki, you're going to have to put up with my obnoxious little sister for a while." I apologized.

"It's okay, I'm used to children."

"Look who's the child." Utau muttered incoherently.

"Watch your mouth." I warned sternly as he began to drive.

It was a short, yet silent drive to their house. After arriving, Utau quickly exited the car and went into her house. Kiki and I followed suit, but stood in the doorway instead of entering.

"Sorry about that."

"No no, it's okay, I understand." Kiki said.

"Now, where were we?" I said seductively, bringing her closer and kissing her again.

"Geez, I leave for like, three seconds and you're already making out."

Ikuto pulled away from Kiki.

"What do you want, Utau?" I asked, annoyed at the constant interruptions.

"Phone call for you." Utau said shortly, tossing him the phone. I caught it and answered with a,"Yo."

"Ikuto, are you home yet? Is Utau-chan safe?"

"Yes mom, she's home. Did you need something?"

"I just wanted to let you know, that I'll be working late tonight. Your father won't be back until tomorrow because of his concert. Don't go anywhere tonight and watch Utau-chan for us."

"Mom, she's fifteen! She can watch herself." I protested.

"No 'buts'. It's not safe being alone at home and a _girl_ too. Promise me you'll watch your little sister." It wasn't much of a question, more like a demand.

"_Alright_." I said, exasperated.

"Thank you Ikuto. Be safe, and take care."

"Bye." I said, then hung up.

"Gimme a sec." I told Kiki, then ran inside the house.

"Utau!" I called. She came pounding down the stairs, changed into a big sweater and some sweats, earphones plugged in her ears.

"Yeah?"

"I'm gonna go out tonight, and mom and dad won't be back till late. Stay here and don't leave the house."

"K." She said, then went back upstairs and shut the door.

I walked back outside to a waiting Kiki.

"So, wanna hit the club tonight?"

"I don't see why not." Kiki answered, giving a little smirk.

* * *

The music was pounding through the roof; strobe lights were flashing intermittently as people danced on the dance floor. We were kind of tired after all that dancing, so we decided to get a drink.

"What drink do you want?" Kiki asked me.

"Any."

"K. Be right back." Kiki said, then disappeared into the crowd. I just sat there at the bar, waiting for her return. It was a night club, so all I wore was a plain white v-neck with a black blazer and ripped jeans. And I never go anywhere without my silver cross necklace.

"Hey Sexy, wanna dance?" I turned around to see a girl wearing a spaghetti strap top with half of it falling off one shoulder. It was complimented by blue booty shorts and some 3 inch heels. Honestly, she wasn't half bad.

"You talkin' to me?" I purred. She walked closer until our bodies were touching. She put her forefinger to my chin, lifting it up a bit, in a seductive manner.

"Who else?" She said, doing a hair flip. I smirked.

"Well sorry, I already got a girlfriend." I said, sitting back down on the chair. She then sat on lap and crossed her legs.

"I can see that you're not satisfied. How 'bout we have some fun?"

"Yo Slut, get the fuck off my boyfriend." We both turned around and saw Kiki standing there, a drink in each hand, and fuming.

"_This_ is your girlfriend? Honestly, you could do better." The girl scoffed, laying a hand on my chest provocatively.

Kiki's face grew red as she suddenly walked over, and splashed the drinks all over the girl. Which led to me getting drenched as well.

"You bitch! You just ruined my top!" The girl screeched. I was just appalled.

"Kiki, you just dumped half of that on me you know." I said, pissed.

She blinked several times as her mind processed what she just did. Kiki then looked at the girl, then me, and realized she made a horrible mistake. Even the DJ stopped playing and people began to stare at us.

"I-Ikuto, I-I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking and-"

"You know, I really hate when girls get all moody and take their anger out on others." I said glaring at her.

"I- I didn't mean-"

"No it's okay. We're over." Everyone in the club gasped. Some girls began to wink and wave at Ikuto, while the guys just "ooooooooooooed."

"I-Ikuto! You can't just dump me because I spilled some soda on you!" She shouted defensively.

"No of course not. I'm dumping you because you were making out with the waiter that brought you that drink." I said, gesturing at the man behind her. Her eyes widened in shock and horror.

"I-It was a mistake!"

"See ya." I said, and left the club.

Before she could come after me, I got in my car and went home. I looked at the digital clock when I reached a red light. 3:32am. Hope Utau's in bed. After ten minutes, I arrived home. The sky outside was pitch black, with maybe just the faintest hint of sunrise. I grabbed my house keys from the glove compartment and exited the car. After fumbling around for the right key, I unlocked the door and opened it slowly to avoid making a sound. After doing a quick inspection of the first floor, I found it empty. I sighed in relief. My parents would've killed me if they knew I was out at a club.

I quietly ran upstairs and brushed my teeth, then washed my face. After taking a quick shower, I slung a towel around my neck and went to check my phone for any missed calls or messages. Apparently, there was one unread message.

"Ikuto, I'll be home at around 4 am so don't be alarmed when the door opens. Love Mom."

"Crap." I muttered under my breath.

It was almost four and I suddenly heard keys turning in the front door. I quickly turned off all the lights on the first floor and dashed upstairs to my room and shut the door the same moment she opened the front door. I tossed my phone onto my nightstand and jumped under the covers, pulling them far above my head and feigning sleep. Seconds later, she opened my door quietly, shining the dark room with light. I held my breath. Please go, please go, I pleaded silently. Eventually, she did. She closed the door behind her, and then checked up on Utau. After that, all I heard were her receding footsteps down the stairs.

**AN: So, what'd you think? This is another perspective that I haven't tried yet, but it interests me. Hope you liked it, and I'll see you next time ^^**


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: I'm back! :D Thanks so much for all the reviews! It was really great to hear some feedback, especially the one about Kutau (how did you know? xD) Well, sorry to disappoint you, but the next chapter (more like next next) focuses more on that. This one is still focusing on Amu and Ikuto's relationship... Oops. Spoiler xD **

**Before I spoil anything else, let's get on with the story~**

The next morning, I had to go to college. Frankly, if it were my choice, I would've stayed home and lounged around. But no, my parents "encouraged" me to go. By force if necessary. So, I decided to become a violinist like my father. I'd expected it to be harder, but at the moment, it was easy. So I decided to skip today, and just went out when I felt like it. I'm not sure what time it was, probably around noon since the sun was shining so brightly.

I just threw on a random t-shirt, slapped on some cologne, and threw on my black leather jacket.

"Ah what the heck. I'll bring this too." I said to myself as I slung my violin case across my back.

Instead of driving, I just set off walking in whatever direction my feet took me, ear buds plugged in. Eventually, I ended up in the park. Seeing how no one was around, I walked to the very edges of it, where all the benches sat. No one comes to this part of the park, so I usually get to come here and play whatever song fits my mood. Once I was sure I was alone, I pulled out my violin, and began to play.

The melody seemed to contrast the bright afternoon sunlight and warm weather; but I didn't care. I just played whatever I felt. It was one of those songs where it felt like you could just say a story with. Like for this song, you could say it started out with sadness and emptiness. The depressed person tried to climb out of the chasm, but kept on failing and failing. And eventually, he gave up, and was swallowed up by darkness. _That's_ what this song felt like.

Ending on a low note, I drew it out, until it felt complete. Somewhere during the piece, my eyes closed, so I opened them again, only to find a pink haired girl watching me from afar. She was hiding behind a tree, and she looked to be wearing a school uniform; more specifically, the same one as Utau's.

"Yo, hiding behind the tree." I called out while putting away my violin.

"Y-Yes?" She said, taken aback.

"Why aren't you in school?" I asked, towering towards her, slinging the violin case onto my right shoulder. From this distance, she smelled faintly of strawberries.

"W-well... I was out with a friend..."

"Well, then I'll just have to teach you a lesson then, won't I?" I smirked, then began to lean in. She closed her eyes and shied away, but I kept advancing. Half expecting a kiss, she opened one eye to look at me. I smirked, then bit her ear, causing her to shriek.

"W-what was t-that for?!" She shouted, clutching her ear. When she did that, she revealed her black messenger bag.

"Your punishment." I said, smirking.

"H-hentai!"

"Anyway, you should get going." I said, being a bit more serious this time.

"H-hai," She replied, confused at the change in mood.

"Good girl," I said, patting her head before leaving.

"You wouldn't want to end up like me, would you?" I muttered softly, back still facing her.

* * *

"Ikuto, where were you this morning?" My friends Kukai and Nagi asked. After leaving the park, I bumped into them on the way to a local cafe, so we decided to go and eat together.

"In bed." I said simply, sipping my latte.

"...You blew off class just so you could _sleep_?"

"More like, _again_?" Nagi said mockingly.

"Why should I bother? The teacher already knows I'm good." I said nonchalantly.

"Yeah well, attendance counts towards your grade, right Nagi?"

"...Not exactly. This _is_ college."

"Well, participation counts! And at this rate, you're not going to pass."

"I don't _need_ a lecture." I said bluntly.

"But you're like, 21 for cryin' out loud!"

"And?" I said with mock confusion.

"Let it go, Kukai. He'll understand someday." Nagi said, resting a hand on Kukai's shoulder.

"So, where's Kiki-san?" Nagi asked.

"Broke up with her." I said shortly, seeing the food arrive.

"You what?!" Kukai exclaimed before taking a bite of his sandwich.

"Why?" Nagi asked, chowing down his own food.

"She cheated on me." I said, eating as well.

"But dude, you guys have dated for months. That's practically the longest relationship I've seen you in." Kukai said.

"Longest was a year. Remember that girl with the blond hair?" Nagi replied.

"Oh yeah! What was her name? Acchi?"

"Aki." I corrected.

"Yeah, her. I thought you would stay together."

"Ehh, didn't work out." I shrugged. The rest of the meal was eaten in silence. I noticed some girls checking me out, and once I finished, I wiped my hands on my napkin, then ran one through my hair. Hearing sighs and several squeals, I smirked.

"Flirting much?" Nagi muttered under his breath.

"When is he not?" Kukai pointed out.

"Good point."

"So, who do you think is the one this time?" Kukai asked.

"Hmm, thinking about the girl in the tank top. Pretty cute." I said to them. Then I turned around and winked at her. She and her girlfriends squealed claiming that I winked at them; but it was in fact, at her.

After paying our bill, we began to exit the restaurant. When we walked past their table, I dropped a piece of paper on it, and said,"Call me," to the girl. She blushed profusely, but took the piece of paper and stuffed it into her mini purse. After giving another wink, I left with Kukai and Nagi.

"Geez Ikuto, such a player."

"Hey, at least I _have_ a girl."

"More like _had_." Nagi scoffed.

"Good one." Kukai complimented, high fiving him.

"Thanks for pointing that out. Greatly appreciated." I said, voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Anyway, I got to go pick up Utau." I said, waving goodbye.

"Wait, Ikuto!"

"What?"

"... Could you give us a ride home?" Kukai said, gesturing to himself and Nagi.

"Where's your car?" I asked.

"Well, mine is being repaired, and Nagi's sister, Nadeshiko, borrowed his..."

"Then how'd you guys get here?"

"My sister dropped us off." Nagi explained.

".. But we're going to a _high_ school... you sure?"

"Yeah, why not?"

"Alright, let's go." I said, shrugging.

* * *

"No girlfriend today?" Utau asked sarcastically, as she walked up the car.

"Nope," I said, ignoring her snide comment.

"Oh, Ikuto? Can my friends come over?"

"_Why_? Tell them to go home." I said.

"You're right, your brother isn't really nice." I didn't notice till now, but there were two other girls with her. One with brown-haired pigtails tied with red ribbons and a baby face, while the other was the same girl I met this afternoon at the park.

"Hey, aren't you the one in the park this afternoon?" I asked the pink-haired girl.

"U-Umm, I think you're mistaking me for someone else."

"Yeah, and besides, how would you know Amu?" Utau said scoffing.

"Fine, whatever. But you can't come over."

"Why not?"

"For one, they won't all fit in my car." I pointed out, gesturing to Kukai and Nagi already inside. When we all glanced at them, they waved.

"Why are _they_ here?"

"They needed a lift." I explained.

"But we have a school project to do," Utau protested.

"Unless you all wanna cram inside, be my guest." I said, holding my hands up in a 'I give up' gesture.

"Thanks Ikuto!" Utau said happily.

_Seconds later..._

"Umm,...how is this gonna work out?" There were only two seats in front, and three in back; but there were six of us.

"Why don't you sit on top of each other?" I said, smirking.

"Okay... Kukai is it okay if Amu sits on your lap?" Utau asked. Said people began to blush profusely.

"...Umm sure."

"I guess..." Amu moved over and gently sat on his lap. Kukai just looked away in embarrassment, suddenly finding his surroundings very interesting.

"I call shotgun!" Utau exclaimed, jumping up. Instead of going out of the door, she just clambered through the small nook between the passenger seat and the driver's seat and beat Nagi to it.

"Dude, Utau, you just got a shoe print on my armrest." I said, glaring at her.

"Sorry, Your Highness," She mocked.

I ignored her and started the car and began to drive home. Halfway there, I was about to run a yellow light when it suddenly turned red. I immediately smashed my foot onto the brakes and everyone in the car jolted forward.

"Ahhh!"

"I-Ikuto!"

"Everybody okay?" I called. I looked in the mirror to find Kukai holding Amu around her waist; her arms seeming to naturally wrap around his neck. That, for some reason, infuriated me.

"Kukai scoot over, I can't see through the mirror." I said, hiding my irritation. The two jumped apart; or, well, tried to. When they did, Amu hit her head on the roof and Kukai knocked heads with Nagi, who groaned.

"Sorry." He apologized, his face burning up. Thankfully, we arrived home before anymore such incidents happened.

"Alright, everyone get out," I ordered.

Everyone got out of the car and entered the house.

"Utau, go do that your project in your upstairs. We're gonna be in the living room."

"B-"

"No buts." I said firmly.

"Fine." Utau shot back, grumpy she didn't get her way. The girls headed upstairs as us guys went to the living room.

"What are we gonna do?"

"Well, there's popcorn in the cupboard, and I just so happened to buy this new movie that came out," I said, smirking.

"Let's watch it!"

And so, we watched the movie. It was pretty good, but it only lasted about an hour and a half and the popcorn just "disappeared" according to Kukai. Of course it would disappear in the two seconds the bowl was in his hands.

"Ikuto! You got any food? We're hungry~" Utau shouted, running down the stairs, followed by Amu and Yaya.

"Why don't we just order some food and eat here? We could all pitch in," Nagi chimed in.

"Sure, why not?"

"I'm all for it," I shrugged indifferently.

"I'll order pizza!" Kukai shouted, picking up the phone.

"I want pepperoni!"

"No! Hawaiian!"

"Why don't we get some mushrooms and olives?"

"Eww! I hate olives!"

"Oh my god, I don't care who orders, just get food here in half an hour," Ikuto grumbles.

"Okay, I'll order the food," Utau declares. Then she snatched the phone out of Kukai's hands and headed into the other room.

"Well, what now?" Currently, we were just sitting in the living room, with nothing to do.

"We can play cards," Yaya suggested.

"Sure."

Then we all started playing cards. The games got pretty heated. Everyone was shouting, screaming, just having a good time. Then the food arrived and we all gathered around the kitchen table and wolfed it down. After that, everyone began to play other board games, but I decided to sit out. I quietly slipped upstairs into my room. I grabbed my violin and went out to the balcony; we were pretty well off because my father is a famous violinist and my mother is the head of a magazine company. They always work, so we're free to do whatever.

I opened the sliding door, and closed it behind me. The breeze gently ruffled my midnight blue hair as I walked approached it. It gave me the shivers, but soothed me at the same time. I propped the violin up onto my shoulder, and began to play.

The melody I played was soft, yet sad. I swayed in time to the music, making certain parts dramatic, other parts barely above a whisper. I played until I heard the sliding doors squeak, then I abruptly stopped.

"... Did you need something?" I asked, not bothering to turn around. I know who it is; there's no one else it could be.

"Why are you out here by yourself?" Amu asks.

"Why are _you_ out here?" I ask, looking up at the moon. It wasn't full, but almost.

"...Um... well..," I turned to face her, making her speechless.

"Why do you care about what I do?" I ask, face half covered in the shadows. She couldn't answer; just stood there, not sure of what to do.

I brushed past her and went back into my room, putting my violin away. She followed me in and closed the balcony door behind her.

"So, why are you in my room?" I ask lazily, lying down on my bed.

"I just wondered where you went, that's all," Amu said, shrugging nonchalantly.

I got up and sauntered over to where she was standing. She stood her ground and looked up at me as I walked right up to her; we were almost touching. I started to reach for her face, then abruptly changed to finger a piece of her hair instead. Her face turned a bright pink, matching the color of her hair.

"Why'd you dye your hair _pink_? You really want that much attention?"

"Why did you dye yours_ blue_?" She shot back.

"Hey, I asked first," I said, holding my hands up.

"It's natural."

"Well, so is mine," I said.

"Liar. You're only saying that because I said that," Amu pointed out.

"No, you want me to prove it? I have pictures." I went to my drawers and began to rifle around for some old photo albums.

"Really?" She asks, suddenly surprised. Does she want to see me when I was young?

"Yeah," I replied back, finally finding an old album at the bottom of my bookcase. I opened it, and handed her a photo of when I was in middle school.

"Oh my gosh, you look so cute~," Amu gushed.

"Oh? You think I was cute?" I smirked.

"O-Oh! Did I say that? I meant to say something else..." Amu trailed off, suddenly finding the wall very interesting. I walked up to her, gently holding her chin between my forefinger and thumb. She turned to face me, blushing red as a tomato.

"Like what?" I prompted, leaning in closer...

Then my phone vibrated. I sighed, but answered it.

"Yo."

"Umm, hi, this is Saki. Is this Ikuto-kun?"

"Why, yes. Did you need something?" I asked with a slight purr to my voice. Amu looked at me, confused at who I was speaking to.

"I was wondering if you wanted to get together tomorrow? Maybe the mall?"

"That sounds nice, but how about next week? I have some things to attend to tomorrow."

"Sure. I'll meet you at the fountain at noon?"

"Sounds good."

"Bye, Ikuto."

"Bye, cutie," I smirked. I could practically feel her blush on the phone as she hung up.

"Who was _that_?" Amu asked. It sounded more like she was accusing me.

That was none of your business," I said, dragging her with me as I left my room and headed downstairs. At the moment, everyone was playing charades and Kukai was the one mimicking. He was waving his arms around and dancing, while everyone just blurted out what they thought he was.

"A juggler?"

"A monster?"

"Harry Potter?"

_"Harry Potter?"_ Kairi asked, giving Yaya an are you crazy look.

"He's a wizard, now everyone leave," I say, pushing everyone out the front door.

"H-hey! Why should we leave? And how did you know I was a wizard?"

"It's like, midnight, go home." I opened the front door and everyone began to reluctantly leave.

"But Ikuto, we don't have rides home," Nagi pointed out.

"I called your parents, they should be here any minute- ahh, they're right there," I said, pointing at the approaching car, the headlights temporarily blinding us.

"Well, bye!" Then I slammed the door behind me.

"What was that all about?" Utau asked.

"Dad's coming home," I replied, cleaning up the living room.

"What?!" She suddenly jumped up and began to help me clean as well. Yaya spilled a soda earlier, so she ran to get a towel to clean it up.

"Why didn't you tell me sooner?!"

"Oh yeah, Mom should be coming with him," I added, relishing in her frantic reaction at that piece of info.

"Arrgghhhhh! She told me to clean the room I never planned to clean!" Utau ran upstairs, and crashing sounds could be heard. I sweat dropped but ignored her, focusing on erasing all signs of any human existence from this living room. I flipped over the cushions, turned off the t.v., and took out the trash. I just finished washing my hands when the doorbell rang.

"Coming," I called, drying my hands on a towel and running to open the front door.

"Welcome back, Dad," I greeted, holding the door open for him and my mom to enter.

"Thanks, Ikuto-kun. Could you put this in the living room?" He asked, handing me his suitcase. I took it and set it on the floor.

"Utau! Come and greet your father!" My mother called.

"Coming!"

Utau came down the stairs and enveloped our father in a bear hug.

"Welcome back, Dad!"

"It's good to be back," He replied, ruffling her hair.

"Shouldn't you kids be getting to bed soon? There's still school tomorrow, right?" My mother asked, setting down her purse on a chair.

"We were waiting for you to get back, then go to bed," I explained.

"But now that you're back, we're going to sleep now," Utau chimed in.

"Thank you, you two. Sorry to keep you up; good night," Our father said.

"Good night," We said simultaneously.

**AN: Now, it may seem like some of the characters, especially Ikuto, are a little OC, but that's part of the plot (for now~). Things are going to start happening soon, huehuehue. Thanks for reading, and I'll see you next time ^^**

**P.S. Updates usually range from 1-2 weeks. I want to let the chapter, sink in, you could say :)**


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: Well... started to get some writer's block... but at least this chapter is done! I'm probably gonna be screwed at chapter 5 or 6... eheheh, I'll deal with that later~ Just enjoy this for now.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of the songs used in this fanfiction, in the previous, current, or upcoming chapters.**

"Yo, Saki!" She was sitting on the fountain, waiting for me. _I made a good choice this time,_ I thought. She's kinda hot. She was wearing a dress that flowed to her knees and a pair of sunglasses that perfectly framed her face. When I called her name, she turned towards the voice, and the wind chose to blow gently at that exact time, giving her a heavenly look.

"Ikuto-kun," She said, standing up to greet me.

"So, what do you want to do first?"

"Well, I'm kinda hungry. Wanna grab a bite to eat?"

"Sure."

So we began walking into the mall towards the food court. On the way there, we chatted about random stuff. What she likes, favorite hobbies, favorite foods, stuff like that.

"Ikuto-kun, where do you go to school?"

"Oh, this college. It's the one near that bakery and pet store," I explained.

"Oh! That one? My college is near yours!"

"Where's yours?"

"It's on the other side of the bridge, umm, I think it's next to a coffee shop," She said.

"Ohh, you're right. It really is close by. We can see each other more often, then, huh?" I said, holding her hand.

"I guess so," She replied, blushing slightly.

We arrived at the food court, and she decided that she would go buy the food while I held the table since it was extremely crowded. So I sat there, just playing a game on my iPhone until someone walked up to me. I could tell because I saw their shadow from the periphery of my vision.

"I-Ikuto."

No way... Kiki? I looked up from my game, and saw Kiki standing there in front of me. She was dressed in a t-shirt and some short shorts, showing off her legs.

"What do you want, Kiki?" I asked, irritated. Well for one, she made me lose in my game.

"At the club a few weeks ago, I didn't kiss him! He kissed me!" She almost shouts. Several people around us began to give her weird looks, while I just stared at her boredly. I barely raised my eyebrows in surprise.

"Is that all you have to say?" I said, indifferently.

"No! I think we should get back together-,"

"Sorry, he's with me, now," I turned around and found Saki standing behind me, tray of food in her hands. She was furious.

"_You_? Ikuto, you've got to be kidding me. I'm so much better than her!" Kiki exclaimed, gesturing at herself. Well, she certainly has a bigger bust than Saki. Saki blushed in embarrassment.

"Well, you cheated on me," I pointed out, not bothering to get in the middle of their quarrel.

"That was a mistake. I was wrong, Ikuto," Kiki pleaded.

"Hmph, some girlfriend _you_ were. You just want them all to yourself," Saki scoffed.

"You wanna go, bitch?"

"Kiki. I think you should leave," I said sternly. She suddenly ran up to me, and kissed me. My eyes widened, then I pushed her away from me.

"I-Ikuto..." Kiki said, tears in her eyes.

"We're done," I said curtly. I took Saki's hand and the tray of food in the other, and walked swiftly away.

I speed walked through the mall, not caring where I was going, as long as I was heading in the opposite direction of Kiki.

"I-Ikuto..."

"Yeah?"

"Where are we going?"

"Outside." I don't know why, but I feel that outside would be quite refreshing right now.

We exited the mall and headed to the umbrella tables and began to eat our lunch. I didn't say a word, I was too pissed at Kiki to say a thing. I just made sure I had enough napkins to wipe off the feeling of her lips on mine.

"Sorry about Kiki. That was my ex," I said after a moment of silence.

"It's okay..." Saki said, pushing her salad back and forth with her fork.

"What's wrong?" I asked, drinking my coke.

"It's nothing," She replied, eating some more. I took her right hand to stop her from eating, making her look up at me.

"Something's bothering you. Tell me," I said more sternly.

"She kissed you," Saki said, pouting.

I took her face into my hands, then gently kissed her. She was reluctant at first, but then gave in and her lips melded with mine. Then she pulled away, embarrassed.

"That kiss meant nothing. I like _you_ now," I said, gently caressing her face. She blushed, looking away.

"Oooooohhhhhhhh, _this_ is where you scampered off to. I was wondering where you went," I heard a voice behind me say.

Oh. My. _Fucking._ God.

I slowly turned my head, resisting the urge to twitch my eyebrow.

"Why didn't you tell me you were going on a date?!" Kukai exclaimed. He was with Nagi, Amu, and some girl with super wavy blond hair and a petite stature.

"... Because I knew this would happen if I told you," I deadpanned.

"Ikuto-kun, who are they?" Saki asked me.

"We're his best friends!" Kukai shouted, throwing an arm around my shoulders. I gave him an are you trying to mess with me, look.

"The loud one is Kukai, that's Nagi, and those two are my sister's friends," I _assume_ that blond girl is her friend...

"Hi, my name is Saki," She said politely.

"So what are you guys doing here?" I asked them.

"Well,-"

"We just needed to buy some things. Rima needs some new shoes," Amu cut in. Said girl turned to give her a weird look, but shrugged nevertheless.

"So why are you two eating out here? You know there's an indoor food court..."

"Freakin' Kiki saw me and caused a whole scene," I replied, still pissed off.

"Ahhhh, makes sense now," Nagi said, nodding his head.

"Who's Kiki?" Amu asked.

"My ex," I said curtly.

"Well, why don't we all go somewhere else then? How about the park?" Nagi suggested.

"Saki, you wanna go to the park?"

"Sure, it doesn't really matter to me," She said, shrugging.

We all started walking towards the park, just talking to each other. It turns out, Saki was majoring in business, and that she was only a year younger than me. When we arrived at the park, we saw children running around playing tag, some joggers, and a group of guys playing basketball. We just decided to walk around the pathway, since there was nothing better to do. When I turned around to look at the group, Nagi was talking to Rima, and Kukai was talking animatedly with Amu. Seeing her laugh made me feel weird, even though I was conversing with Saki.

"Oh! You guys want ice cream? The vendors here have the best chocolate flavor ever!" Saki exclaimed, turning around to face everyone else.

"Sure. What flavors do you want?" I asked everyone.

"Why don't we just go and find out? The vendor is over there," Kukai said, pointing at a man giving small children ice cream cones.

"Just get me a vanilla, Rima. I'm going to go to the bathroom," Amu said, walking towards the restrooms.

"Saki, get me a chocolate will you?" I called, sitting down on a bench.

"Sure!" And the four of them walked away.

I pulled out my phone and checked the time. 2:16pm... So much for our first date... It got ruined by Kiki... Then I looked up, and saw Kiki at the entrance to the park. _Oh my God, I am seriously gonna kill someone one day._

"Ikuto, why are you still here? Didn't you go get ice cream with everyone else?" Amu asked, walking out of the bathroom and throwing away a wet paper towel into the trash can.

"Come with me," I said, taking her hand and sprinting away.

"I-Ikuto?! Where are we going?" Amu shouted, trying desperately to keep up with my fast pace.

"Anywhere but here!" I shouted back. We ran over the fields and over a couple of grassy hills before stopping to catch our breaths.

"What.. *pant*... was that... *pant*... for?" Amu asked, wheezing, hands on her knees.

"_That_, was my ex," I said, resting both hands on my head to open up my lungs.

"Ahhhhh," She said.

We both sat down on the grass, letting the breeze cool us down.

"So, how old are you?" I asked her.

"I'm fifteen. Aren't you like, 21?" She asked.

"Yeah..."

"Ice cream! Get your ice cream!" A vendor shouted.

"You want some?" I ask Amu.

"Umm..."

"Don't worry, it's my treat," I say, calling the vendor over.

"What flavor?"

"Vanilla."

"One vanilla, one chocolate, please."

"Coming right up, sir," He said, grabbing two cones. After getting the ice cream I paid him, then went back to Amu and gave her her ice cream.

"Thanks," she said, licking it.

"No problem," I said, eating my own.

"So, what does your family do for a living?" I ask her.

"My father is a photographer, while my mother is an editor for a magazine."

"Oh really? My mother works for a magazine company too."

"That's cool! But my father overreacts so much. He always calls me his little 'sparrow' and how I'm leaving the nest," She says, mimicking a bird flying away. We both laugh.

Then we just began to talk to each other, sharing funny stories. Like the time I accidentally blew gum into Kukai's hair and he had to get a buzz cut. And the time she stepped in concrete without even realizing it, and her mother chased after her, and she believed it was a game of tag.

"You did what now?" Amu asked, laughing.

"Swear! A dog was growling at us, and I was like 'oh shit!' and then I began to sprint away. Kukai wasn't as fast though; he lost a shoe," I said, laughing.

"I wish I could've seen the look on his face. Oh, your ice cream is gonna spill," Amu said, gently taking my cone and licking it. Then, realizing what she just did, she blushed and looked away, embarrassed. I just smirked.

"Flirting, much?" I teased.

"S-sorry!" She said, bowing her head. That motion made her drip some of her own ice cream onto my shirt.

"S-sorry Ikuto-kun!" She exclaimed, giving me napkins.

"Relax, it's just a stain. And what's with the -kun? Just Ikuto is fine," I said.

"W-what? No!"

"Why not?"

"Just no," She said, crossing her arms across her chest stubbornly.

"Whatever you say, Amu-koi," I said, smirking at her instantaneous reaction.

"Don't use -koi!" She shouted, blushing as red as a tomato.

"Call me Ikuto then."

"... -to."

"What?" I said, putting my hand to my ear to hear better.

"Ikuto!" She practically shouts.

"Yes?" I answer, smirking.

She sighs.

"Please, just go to the bathroom and clean your shirt," She says, pointing at the restroom.

"Whatever you say, Amu-koi," I duck as she throws a tree branch at me.

"Don't use -koi!"

"So violent," I tsk. Then I hurriedly walk away, in case she finds anything more deadly to throw at my handsome face.

I go to the bathroom and wash out the stain. Thank god it was only vanilla; if it were chocolate, it might never come out. I gently washed it, then dried it off with a couple of paper towels before exiting the bathroom. Once I'm outside, I see Amu struggling with a couple of guys.

"Let go of me!"

"C'mon, let's go have some fun," A guy said, smirking. The other guy stood there, smirking as well.

I march over there, furious.

"Let her go," I say firmly.

"Who are _you_?" The guy says, turning around. He literally had to crane his neck up to make eye contact with me since I was towering over him.

"Her _boyfriend_." I said, emphasizing 'boyfriend.'

His friend then put his hand on the first guy's shoulder. "We should go," He said.

"Hmph, she isn't that hot anyways," He scoffed, leaving. What a liar.

Once they were gone, Amu came to me and gave me a bear hug. I embraced her back, suddenly noticing how small she is.

"Thank you, Ikuto," She murmured into my shirt. She was trembling slightly, and so I hugged her tighter, hoping to dispel her fear. After awhile, she pulled away, embarrassed by her actions.

"You didn't have to call yourself my boyfriend..." She said, looking away.

"That was the first thing that came to my mind," I said, shrugging.

Before any more could be said, my phone rang.

"Sup."

"Don't 'sup' me! Where are you?! We've been looking for you all over the place!" I held the phone away from my ear as Kukai shouted at me.

"What are you, my mother?" I muttered incoherently.

"What?"

"Nothing."

"Where are you?" He repeated.

"Next to the playground," I say, seeing a nearby swing set.

"Stay there, we're coming." Then he hung up.

"Are you okay?" I ask Amu.

"Y-yeah. I'm fine."

"Wanna go on the swings?" I ask, trying to get her mind off of it.

"Sure!" She ran towards one and seated herself in.

"Ikuto! Push me!" She shouted excitedly. I shake my head. She can be such a child.

"Coming, coming," I say, running towards her and pushing her.

"Whee!" She says, reaching out for the sky.

"You're such a child," I say, smiling.

"Am not!" She says, turning around to look at me.

"Am too."

"Am not!"

"Am too."

"Am not!"

"Am not."

"Am too!"

"Hah!" I say, laughing. She just realized what she said, and pouted.

"You tricked me!" I said nothing as I laughed, clutching my stomach.

_"Let's make this fleeting moment last forever. So, tell me what you're waiting for?_

_I'm gonna keep it frozen here forever,_

_There's no regretting anymore."_

"Oh, that's my phone," Amu says, reaching for it. She jumped off the swing and began to dig around for it in her bag. Once she found it, she was about to answer when I put my hand over hers.

"Don't. It's a good song," I say. And we listened to the song instead of answering it.

_Meet me under shining lights,_

_I've been waiting right here all my life_

_Feelings you can't deny that you're living, open up your eyes_

_And I just wanna sink into your crazy laughter_

_Come on make me feel until the pain don't matter_

_Every second here makes my heart beat faster_

_Finally think I found what I'm chasing after._

_All alone, just the beat inside my soul_

_Take me home, where my dreams are made of gold_

_In the zone where the beat is un-controlled._

_I know what it feels like_

_Come on make me feel alive_

_Alive!_

Then the phone went to voice mail.

"Ikuto!" We turned around and found Kukai, Nagi, Rima, and Saki running towards us.

"Hey gu-" Then Kukai comes and tackles me.

"Dude!"

"You know how we worried we were? You two just suddenly disappeared!"

"Stop acting like my mom fro crying out loud!" I shout, prying him off of me.

"Amu-chan, are you alright?" Rima asks her.

"I'm fine. Sorry for making you worry," Amu says, giving her friend a quick embrace.

"Why can't you two be more like them?" Nagi asks, gesturing to the two girls.

"I'm _so_ sorry I'm not willing to hug Kukai," I deadpan.

"So where have you two been?" Rima asks.

"I ran into Kiki again," I explained.

"Did you lose her?" Saki asks, taking my hand. I notice how Amu just slightly pouts at the scene of us together. But it was so faint and quick, I'm not sure if I'm imagining things or not.

"Yeah. Sorry about our date. It kinda got ruined," I say.

"It's alright. We'll have more dates," She says, smiling.

"You guys wanna head home now? It's getting late," Kukai says.

"Sure. Saki, where do you live?"

"Oh you don't have to take me back. There's the bus stop on the corner that stops right at the end of my street," She explains.

"Want us to walk you there?"

"Sure!"

We walked Saki to the bus stop, which coincidentally just arrived. We bid her farewell and began walking in the other direction. Kukai split up with us since we walked by his house. Then Nagi and Rima left as well. Surprisingly, they live in the same neighborhood. That just leaves me and Amu. I just realized... the whole day, I spent mostly with Amu. Heck, I wasn't even being the usual delinquent I am. I had a normal conversation, normal day out. Can one person really change my life so much, in just one day?

"Amu, where do you live?" I asked, trying to get my mind off of

"A little farther ahead. And don't call me that. Amu-chan is fine."

"Would you like me to call you Amu-koi, then?" I teased.

"Fine! Amu is alright too," She replies, blushing.

"So which one's your house?"

"That one," Amu says, pointing at cream colored house with plants in front of it.

"Now I know where you live~" I said in a sing songy voice.

"Do anything funny, and I'll murder you," She says in dark voice.

"Alright alright," I say.

We both laugh.

"Well, gotta go. See ya," I say, then begin walking home.

"I-...Ikuto! Wait!"

"Hmm?"

"It's... about Utau..."

"Oh yeah, where is she? I haven't seen her all day..." I trailed off. I then noticed her expression: a mix between worry and fear.

"Is everything all right?" I asked, growing suspicious.

"She... She's out with her... friends.." Amu said, hesitantly.

"Umm... okay? Well, gimme a call if something comes up," I say, giving her my phone number.

"Okay. You'll know it's me if I call," Amu says, going inside her house. I wave goodbye, then head home.

_Timeskip~_

... It's almost midnight... where the hell is Utau? I was currently lying in bed, just listening to music. Our parents were out again, as usual. Getting restless, I grabbed my phone from my nightstand and checked it; no messages. I sigh, frustrated. I should have just asked for her number instead of waiting for a call! Then my phone vibrated. I immediately unlocked it and checked the message.

_I called Utau and she said she was going to go to a club near her house. Just thought you should know..._

_Thanks, I'll text you later. _I typed, then got out of bed and grabbed my keys. After locking the front door, I jumped into my car and sped off, knowing exactly which club to go to. I mean, I go to these things practically ever other night. How would I not know which clubs were best?

I exited the car and headed inside the club. Music pulsed through my ears because of the high-class stereo system, multicolored strobe lights flashed random spots of the dance floor intermittently. In general, the entire club was dark, almost a dark blue color except for the colorful lights placed here and there, followed by various colors of lava lamps on tables to impress the club goers.

"Yo, Ikuto, lookin' for a new girl to mess with?" A guy with amazing hair said. He was dressed in bartender clothing.

"'Sup Kashi. And nah, I'm currently taken for the time being," I said, smirking.

"Already? That's a player alright," Kashi said, shaking his head. He went behind the bar and began to wipe some of the wine glasses dry with a white cloth.

"So what're you doin' here, then? Planning to cheat, my friend?" He asked.

"Oh damn, you caught me," I said jokingly.

"No. I'm looking for someone. Have you seen a girl with long, blond hair, tied up in two pigtails?"

"She have violet eyes?"

"Yeah. You saw her?" I asked quickly.

"Yeah. She came in here with a couple of girlfriends. Saw them head towards the dance floor with some guys," He said.

"Thanks man."

I headed towards the dance floor, various girls asking me to dance with them. I just ignored them all and focused on my task at hand. Eventually, I found her; furiously making out with a guy. She was sitting in his lap, her hands wrapped around his face and back as his hand traveled down to her hip and rump. I marched towards them and yanked her off of him.

"What the hell's your problem?!" She shouted.

"What's _your_ problem?! You shouldn't even _be_ in a place like this!" I shot back, gesturing to our surroundings.

"Utau, you know this person," He says, almost nonchalantly. Acting like some arrogant brat by shoving his hands into his jean pockets when really, he was hecka pissed off.

"We're going home," I said curtly. I grabbed her arm and began pulling her away.

"You can't make me," She said, yanking her arm free. That's when I noticed what she was wearing; a purple crop top with half of the buttons undone showing off her cleavage, and super short jean shorts followed by 3-inch black heels. It's like she's _trying_ to be a slut. I grabbed her arm again, this time harder.

"We're going home. NOW," I said, in a final tone. Without saying another word, we leave the club.

**AN: I know Ikuto is acting a little OC, but that's part of the last two chapters. But I can tell you this: things are gonna get REALLY interesting/intense the next chapter :D Thanks for reading~ **


	4. Chapter 4

**AN: Thanks for all the reviews! Because of them, I was able to make some good changes ^^ Like, that summary~ Arigatou gozaimasu ^^ And yes, this chapter focuses a little more on Utau, and yes, some Kutau ^^ I know it might not satisfy you, not yet at least. There's plenty more where that came from. And like I said, things start to _happen_ in this chapter :D harharhar.**

**Enjoy~**

Once we arrived home, Utau immediately ran upstairs and slammed the door behind her. A click could be heard; she obviously locked it. I calmly ignored her for the time being and closed the front door behind me. I headed to the kitchen, and fixed myself a cup of tea. Once it was steaming, I took a tentative sip. Delicious. Then, I went to the living room, and opened the last drawer of the cabinet. Inside were various tools ranging from lined paper, to staples, to hole punchers. I lifted a secret latch on the bottom of the drawer, and retrieved a set of keys.

"Do you really think I'm that _stupid_?" I muttered to myself as I headed to Utau's room and opened the door. Once I did, she screamed. She was just about to change her clothes; that is, until I intruded.

"Ahhhhhh! Get out! How the hell did you get in, anyway?!" She shouted, throwing pillows at my face, which I either caught and threw to the side, or deflected.

"... You ever heard of a _key_?" I asked matter of factly.

"Just let me change first!" She shot back, slamming the door once again. I waited behind the door, just thinking about how I'm ever going to be able to tell my parents about this. They're certainly not going to like this. Then, the door opened.

"Come in."

I entered to find Utau dressed in her PJ's, sitting on her bed. She was hugging her stuffed bear, making her look innocent, but that look on her face states otherwise. I sighed heavily and settled into her desk chair.

"Now, where should I start? Hm, how about how you didn't tell me where you've been all day? Or when you decided to go to a _club_ that you're clearly too young for? I mean, honestly Utau, what the hell were you thinking?!" I began to shout.

"I was thi-"

"No, you clearly _weren't_ thinking!" I interrupted.

"Why the hell do _you_ care? _You're_ not mom or dad," She retaliated.

"It's my job to protect you."

"Says who?!" She shouts, gesturing around her.

"Hmm, was it my chair? Or was it the air blowing in the breeze?" She says in a mocking tone.

"It doesn't matter who said it. _I_ said it."

"Huh, some protector. _You're_ the one who asks me to cover for _you_ when _you_ hit the club and come home at _4_ in morning, and _you're_ the one who's screwing around with every hot girl you find! Yet you have the audacity to tell me that I can't do as I _PLEASE_? Who's going to stop me? You're not even here half the time!"

I was speechless for a second as I took an unconscious step backwards. Somehow, my feet led me to the door.

"Get out of my life. You were never in it in the first place," She said curtly, as she slammed the door on my face.

Someday, that door is going fall right off its hinges.

* * *

_The Next Day~_

_Utau pov~_

He has some god damn nerve, saying that stuff to me. Honestly, where is that heartbreaking, indifferent, playboy brother of mine when I need him? After I finished eating breakfast, I grabbed my stuff and left the house. Since it was quiet warm this morning, I decided to walk; and because I didn't want to ask him for a ride to school. I can manage just fine on my own, thank you very much. The sun beamed down on my surroundings, seeming to light up the world. The air in the morning is strangely very fresh and pure, I never noticed it before.

I took in a deep breath, then exhaled in wonder. It felt nice to be outside for once. It feels as if I could just sit under a tree and listen to music while just pondering about life.

But nobody has time for that. When I stopped at a red light, the wind blew slowly, ruffling my skirt. Swear, I feel like they purposely make the uniforms more revealing for the girls since the skirts are so short, so are our p.e. uniforms. I was about to cross the street when someone honked their horn. Confused, I turned around to see who it was, only to find Kukai waving his hand at me from his car.

"Get in!" He hollered.

"No thanks, I don't take rides from strangers," I said, holding my chin high and crossing the street. Once I'm across, I keep walking and never looked back. I didn't have to, I know he was still there, following me in his car.

"Do you mind _not_ following me to school? That's kind of what people call a 'stalker,' " I said, annoyance showing in my voice.

"Well, I'm just worried you're not going to get to school on time. Get in, I'll give you a lift," He offered. He rolled up right next to me, driving in the parking spaces. I looked sideways to face him, raising my eyebrows.

"Come ooooooonnnnn~ I don't bite," He said, giving me a goofy grin. I gave him a look of disbelief.

"Fine. But if you try anything-"

"I won't. Cross my heart," He said, making two slashes across his heart with his forefinger. I rolled my eyes but got into the passenger seat.

"So, why are you up so early? I thought college students could sleep in. Heck, I thought you have class," I say.

"Class doesn't start for another hour or so. And anyways, I just had some things to do. why are you walking? Doesn't your bro give you a ride?" He asked, turning onto the street of the school.

"None of your business," I say, getting out of the car as it stopped. I slammed the door shut and walked towards the school gates.

"Utau!" I looked back and saw Amu running up to me.

"Hey Amu."

"Ohayo, Utau-chan," she says breathlessly.

"Are you okay? You sound out of breath," I say.

"Had to run to school or else I would've been late," She says, clutching her sides. She never was much of a runner.

"But why are you here so late, Utau? You're usually already in the classroom by now."

"I walked to school today," I said simply.

"Really? Don't you usually get a ride?" She asked, seemingly innocent.

"Yeah. Didn't wanna today," I said, ending the conversation.

The bell rang, signaling the end to our awkward conversation. We parted ways since we don't have classes together; frankly, we've never had classes together before, oddly enough. I got all of the classes with no one I know, while she is the exact opposite; getting all the good teachers and having all of her friends in her classes.

Once class started, I just tried my best to listen; but honestly, I'm really tired. That night at the club was thrilling, but also very exhausting, considering the aftermath of that day. I'm surprised Ikuto hasn't told on me to our parents.

"Hoshina-chan, could you please do problem 3 on the board?"

"Sure."

I got up and walked to the front of the room, emanating "confidence." Some call it that, I call it arrogance. I quickly solved the math problem and then boxed my answer before setting the Expo marker down and sitting back in my seat.

"Excellent job," My teacher praised.

"Thank you," I said simply.

Everyone just stared at me in awe, probably just wondering: omg, Utau-chan is so smart! Yawn. This stuff is so easy, anyone could do it. Oh yeah, I forgot to mention something didn't I? My last name is Hoshina at school so my classmates wouldn't bombard me to and from school if they found out I'm the daughter of the famous violinist, Tsukiyomi Aruto, and the sister of Tsukiyomi Ikuto.

Slowly, the time ticked by and eventually, we had lunch. While I was heading to the lunchroom, I was glomped by Yaya.

"Utau-chan!" She shouted, hugging me so tightly I was gasping for air.

"A-... air," I managed to choke out.

"Oh! Sorry!" She laughed, letting me go. I don't get how that's even remotely funny, but okay.

"What do you have for lunch today?" I asked, getting in line.

"Hmm, I think it's noodles," She pondered.

"You wanna trade then? What do you want from here?" I asked, gesturing to the different options the school offered.

"I want a subway!" she exclaimed.

"Hai hai."

After we bought our lunches, we headed to our usual table where Kairi, Rima, Yaya, and I usually sat. I never really eat with Amu; used to, but she and her other friends just decided to sit somewhere else and then they just left. There were other friends of ours, but they aren't here at the moment. Probably off doing their homework or something.

"Hey guys," I greeted, sitting down next to Rima.

"Hey Utau!" I literally choked on my drink. After my wave of coughing and hacking I turned toward my left and saw Kukai standing there, waving at me as if it were normal to see a college student in a high school cafeteria.

"What are you_ doing_ here?" I said vehemently. He certainly feels like a stalker now.

"I'm here with Ikuto," He said, taking a bite of his sandwich.

"Why are you wearing the school uniform and where did you get it from?" I asked, confused yet suspicious. And Ikuto? Why's _he_ here? He put a finger to his lips and smirked.

"I have my ways," He said pridefully.

"I still don't understand how he bought lunch," Rima chimed in, shaking her head in wonder.

"He could have just stood in line, you know?"

"Honestly, wouldn't someone have noticed that he doesn't go here?" Kairi said matter of factly.

"Why don't we talk somewhere else," I said, pushing him gently towards the door.

"Don't take too long, Utau. You still need to grab your books for class!" Yaya called after me.

"K!" I shout back. Then in a few seconds, we got outside. Luckily, there weren't that many people in the main hall, making it relatively private.

"Why's Ikuto here?" I said, getting straight to the point.

"He wanted to talk to Amu," Kukai explained.

"Geez, isn't having everything you want already enough?" I mutter under my breath.

"What?"

"Nothing. You should leave before you get caught," I say, turning around. But he grabbed my arm, stopping me.

"What did you say?" He asks, more seriously this time.

"Nothing!" I shout. Then I wrest my arm out of his grip and head back into the cafeteria. I give Yaya her tupperware back and bid them all farewell as I went to go to my locker and grab my other books.

"... -ried. Text me later about it, okay?"

Ikuto? I halted my footsteps just as I reached the end of the hall, and peered over the corner of the hallway. I saw Ikuto standing there talking to Amu.

"Okay. But there's practice today, so I hope to talk to resolve this," She says. She's probably talking about track practice.

"Thanks, I gotta go now, " Then my brother began to leave.

Amu began heading in direction, and I began to panic. _Where to hide, where to-_ "Eep!" I yelped as I got pulled into the bushes nearby by a familiar hand. A hand covered my mouth as I looked up at my assailant, only to find that it's Kukai.

"Shhh," He says, putting a hand a finger to his lips. We wait till all we hear are Amu's receding footsteps down the hallway. Even after we're sure she's gone, we stay in that position, his arms wrapped around me from behind, as if waiting for someone to just suddenly pop up out of nowhere.

"Okay, I think the coast is clear," He says, removing his hand from my mouth.

"No kidding! It was clear ten minutes ago!"

"Hey, we can never be too safe," He says with a cheeky grin. We both step out of the undergrowth, catching the eyes of unwanted onlookers as they were walking by. Oh if there weren't anyone around, I'd be wringing his neck at the moment.

"Why are you following me around everywhere?" I ask him, irritated.

"You're interesting. Plus, I wasn't following you around, I just happen to be in the area," He said.

"Whatever then." Thankfully, the bell chose to ring at that moment.

"I'm going to class now," I say. Then I picked up my stuff and left.

* * *

_Ikuto pov~_

I walk into Utau's high school with Kukai trailing in my wake.

"Ikuto, you sure this is a good idea?" He asked, for the billionth time.

"I told you, no one's going to find out we don't go here. As long as you don't attract much attention and you're wearing school gear, then it's all good. And besides, it's lunchtime so people are always coming on and off campus," I say, winking at some girls passing by. They practically faint at the sight of me.

"Dude, stop flirting. You already have a girlfriend," Kukai said bluntly.

"Relax, I'm just having some _fun_," I say, smirking.

"So where is she?"

"No idea. There's one way to find out." I walk up to a group of girls sitting on a table in the shade gossiping with each other. They all freeze once I approached them.

"Excuse me, but have any of you seen Hinamori Amu?" I ask politely.

"H-hinamori-san? She's usually eating in classroom 3-D a girl stutters out, majorly blushing.

"Thank you."

"Yo Kukai, we're goin' to room 3-D."

"K."

When we turned our backs, I heard them chattering like a bunch of squirrels talking about how hot I am. I smirked inwardly. Life's good when you're sexy.

"So remind me again why we're at a _high school_?" Kukai asked, raising an eyebrow at me.

"I need to talk to Amu about something," I say, leaving out the details.

"Ooooooooo, since when have you called her such in such an intimate way?" Kukai teased. We rounded a corner and came upon room 3-D.

"It's so much easier than calling her Hinamori-san," I say boredly, opening the sliding door to the classroom. There were only a couple of people milling about, eating their lunches and talking to their friends. I spotted Amu in the corner with a couple of friends and sauntered over to her.

"Yo, Amu, could I get a sec?" I asked, purposely making my voice sound sexy since her friends were with her. They immediately blushed and nudged her to come with me. Amu on the other hand, was shocked to see me here.

"Um, sure," She said, excusing herself from her friends and following me out. Again, whispers could be heard.

"Who is he?"

"Has he always been at this school?"

"Kya! He's so hot!"

"Ikuto, what are you doing here? And where did you get our school uniform?" Amu asked, walking down the hallway with me.

"I have ways," I say, smirking. Kukai's no where to be seen. He probably wandered off...

"So what did you want to talk about?"

"Let's find a quieter place first."

We walked to the bushes and stood near it, not making a sound.

"You better not be trying to-"

"This is about Utau," I interrupted.

"Right, of course,-"

"Have you heard anything from Utau? Did she text you?"

"Umm, no. Lately, she's been getting a little distant..." I saw some teachers nearby, heading our way.

"Anyway, I'm getting a little worried. Text me later about it, okay?"

"Okay. But there's practice today, so I hope to talk to resolve this," She says.

"Thanks, I gotta go now," I say, gesturing to the authorities coming towards us. I hurriedly leave and make my appearance inconspicuous; which is quite difficult, considering how much I stand out here. I decided to walk swiftly away and averted my gaze from the teachers to the very interesting floor as I hurried along.

"Excuse me, son, I haven't seen you around. Do you go here?" I froze in place, my entire body becoming rigid. Oh shit. The person that spoke to me was middle-aged man with graying hair and black glasses. He was flanked by an older man no younger than his fifties and a tall young woman dressed in a collared shirt and a pencil skirt.

"Yeah, you probably haven't seen me around because I used to go to a different school," I smoothly lied. Everyone's eyes were on us now, and the other teachers also began to notice how I seemed to stand out.

"Really? Who's your homeroom teacher?" The woman asked.

"Ummm, Misterrrrrrrrrrr-" My eyes darted frantically around and spotted a name on the wall of a classroom. Sasaki.

"Ah right! Mr. Sasaki!" I answered, rubbing the bad of my head.

"Strange, I don't remember having you in any of my classes..." The old man said, scratching his forehead in confusion.

"O-Oh! You probably don't notice me much since I always sit in the back... Hey, look at the time, I gotta go," I said, looking at my wrist and dashing off. I managed to get halfway to the entrance before I began to be pursued by security guards.

"Hey, you! Stop!"

_I hell as no ain't stopping!_

I began to sprint and reached the gates to my freedom. After taking a sharp left, I managed to camouflage myself with the trees and bushes as they ran past me. I sighed in relief as I rested my hands on my knees to catch my breath, then after a moment, leaned against a nearby tree trunk and grasped a branch just above my head for support.

"Yo Ikuto, why you breathing so hard?" I turned around to find Kukai sauntering over to where I stood, hanging on to dear life.

"I *gasp* had to run *pant* all the way out here *pant* to avoid getting caught by security!" I practically shout.

"Run? Why didn't you just take a shortcut through bushes and come out of this opening?" He asked, gesturing to the clearing around them and the lack of a gate. I just glared daggers at him.

"You're one to talk. Where'd you wander off to?"

We began to head back to the car.

"Just had some things to see to," He shrugged indifferently.

"Like what?" We reached the car and I rifled through my pockets for the keys.

"Just stuff," He said, not going into detail. I raised an eyebrow suspiciously.

"Hmm, I can't imagine what kind of 'stuff' you would need to do at a _high school_ that you didn't even go to. Care to enlighten me?" I said sarcastically. I unlocked the car doors and we piled in. The weather was scorching hot outside, so I opened all the windows and drove to Kukai's house, letting the wind violently ruffle my hair.

"No, not really!" Kukai replied over the wind.

"Okay then," I say, still suspicious.

I'll find out on my own, one way or another. I have my ways. I smirked evilly, causing Kukai to give me a look of fear and worry. If my hands weren't busy at the moment, I'd be rubbing them against each other evilly. We arrived at his house and I dropped him off before going to school myself. Kukai has a slightly different schedule than mine so he doesn't have class at times even though I do. I attended class and did all the work necessary before slacking off and composing some music.

Composing my own music is the only thing that the teachers don't mind I do, and the only thing that's actually close to "fun" when it comes to school. Every week, there's also my composing class, but it happens at night, so it makes sense to hit the club afterwards, right?

"Ikuto, can I see what you composed for the assignment?"

"Sure."

I passed him the music sheets as he quickly scanned them. It was currently about 9:30pm; half an hour left.

"This matches well with the piano piece I composed," He says, showing me his sheets. He's right, they're quite melodious together.

"Then let's play a duet for the assignment. I gotta go now," I said, gathering all my things.

"K, see ya," Nagi said.

"See ya, man," I said before leaving.

Having nothing to do, I just drove around town, letting the breeze caress my face. I stopped at several stores, buying food, some supplies, and new batteries for my watch. I then ate my food in my car, listening to the radio as it announced an upcoming concert where they would be raffling off two tickets for the new amusement park.

"Just text 92487 to our radio station for a chance to win!" After that, they began playing songs again. Hey, why not. It's not like I'll have anything to lose. I whipped out my phone and texted 92487 to their radio station and then put it away. I doubt I'll win, but whatever. At least there's a chance.

"Hmm, I haven't texted Amu yet..." I pulled out my phone again and texted her.

_How was practice with Utau? Did she say anything about where she's goin?_

When there was no immediate reply, I called Utau. It went to voice mail immediately, the five times I called her. When I called the home phone, it rang, _then_ went to voice mail. I sighed, frustrated. I ran my hands through my hair, hoping that that action would cure my irritation.

"Arrrgghh! Why do I care so much?!" I shouted at myself. Luckily, all the windows were closed so no one would think I was crazy for talking to myself.

But yes, why do I care so much? Since when did I actually start caring about the affairs of others and the people around me? It couldn't have been more than a couple weeks ago that I was dating countless girls left and right. Whoever flocked to me, I would hit them up and date them. After getting intimate, my girlfriend at that point would fall crazy in love with me and then I'd dump her. Then the cycle would endlessly go on.

Hell, sometimes I dated two girls at once, just to see a chick fight. But lately... I actually began to notice things... Utau, Kukai, my new girlfriend Saki, and mostly... Amu. No. _No, no, no._ I'm just kidding myself. There's no way _I_ would ever be human. No way that _I_ would be able to love and care about someone else honestly. I'm just not meant to do that. Shaking my head vigorously, I started up the car and drove violently to the nearest club. I immediately got out and slammed the door shut.

"Yo, Rob, watch these for me will ya?" I asked,tossing my wallet and keys to the bartender.

"Sure man. I'll lock your things in like everyone else," The bartender said, catching my things and stuffing them into a locker. In this club, you can opt to have your things in a safe while you party, basically. It is a small price to pay, but it's better than getting robbed while dancing.

I then sat down on the bar and slapped a twenty on the table.

"Something strong," I said, rubbing my temples with my hand. The throbbing music and pulsing lights did nothing to help the oncoming headache.

"Comin' right up," Rob replied after locking away my things. As I waited, I looked out at the crowd of people, dancing their days away. Most of them were barely dressed; the girls looked like hookers, and the guys looked ready to screw any girl that comes their way.

"Here you are, man. One glass of some of the strongest stuff we have," He said, setting a glass before me. The glass contained maroon colored liquid with a cherry beside it. I downed it all in one go, then ate the cherry, spitting out the seed when nobody was looking.

"Oooooo~ you have a strong taste, handsome," I looked to my left and found a blond sitting tall and primp in the bar chair, swiveling around to get a better look at me. She was dressed in a blood red dress, barely ending at her thighs. It showed plenty of cleavage as she tossed her red curls flirtatiously.

"You talkin' to me, cutie?" I asked, smirking. I purposely tossed my midnight blue hair to the side to see her reaction. It was hard to tell, but I believe she purred.

"Who else?" She said seductively, gesturing to the other people at the club. I walked up to her and brushed a forefinger from her neck, tracing a line from the bottom, all the way to her chin, lifting it up slightly. Then I kissed her lightly on the lips. As I was pulling away, she closed the gap between us, and kissed me back, but more roughly, passionately. We began making out, my tongue begging for entrance, she, gladly letting me in.

"Would you two get a room already?" One customer asked, clearly pissed at all the PDA. With that said, I swooped her into my arms and we both headed to a backroom of the club, nuzzling noses and giving chaste kisses to each other.

My vision began to blur and I saw two of her. The background music and all the people cheering and yelling all melded into one, clambering sound that all seemed to be in the back of my mind. All my mind was focused on at the moment was the sexy girl in my arms. After getting a room and locking the door for privacy, I gently lay her down on the bed and kiss her roughly. She would moan in ecstasy at the affection I was giving her.

I felt my phone buzz and vibrate a couple times; but after like, the second or third time, I got annoyed and tossed it behind my back, not even giving it a second glance. She began unbuttoning the buttons of my shirt and my mind began to get fuzzy. But it was pure euphoria.

This. _This_ is who I am.

**AN:...Well, I hope that wasn't too graphic. This is still rated T and I don't like to write much M rated stuff... anyways, thanks for reading, and I'll see you all next time ^^**


	5. Chapter 5

**AN: Wow, it's been exactly two weeks. Anyways, Happy Father's Day! Hope you all gave your fathers some kind of gift. lol, I made my dad a cake~ Well, this chapter is gonna, nah, more like this story, is going to focus a little more on Utau for the time being. So more Kutau for you fans out there ^^ . If you're looking for Amuto, it's gonna happen later in the chapters, sorry . But I'll definitely get to it. Now, enough talking, just enjoy the story~**

**Oh, wait, before I forget, happy summer! School ended! :D**

I woke up the next morning, my head throbbing. It feels as if it's going to pulse right out of my skull. I groan as I sit up, realizing that I'm currently shirtless. Confused, I looked around the room, seeing only a door, two night stands, and a window with the sun's rays streaming through. I was sitting on a bed, the bed sheets all messed up, some strewn haphazardly across the floor while the rest entangled my body and the other girl's body... who is she again?

I never learned her name,... and last night was kinda hazy. I shook my head vigorously; which was a bad idea since it only served to increase the massive headache I already have. Steadying myself, I got out of bed and threw my shirt on. Surprisingly, my jeans were still on. Did we ever go there last night? I put a hand to my forehead, sighing heavily. Can't remember. At least not at the moment.

I felt around my front pockets and found them empty. Where's my phone? I began to search the room for it, looking in the drawers of the night stands, searching myself again, then looking through the seemingly endless covers. I eventually found it lying on the floor. Hm. I predict ten messages and ten missed calls, I thought to myself.

Bracing myself, I unlocked it to find five messages and eleven missed calls. Close enough. There were two messages from Amu, one from Kukai, one from Nagi, and five missed calls from Kukai, six from Nagi.

"Geez, I was only gone for one night and they go crazy," I mumbled under my breath. The girl on the bed began to stir at the noise I was making and I quickly fixed my hair in the mirror before dashing out the door. I have this strange premonition, that if I stayed in there, I would regret it.

I made my way to the bar and saw empty it was in the mornings. Just a couple of busboys walking around and cleaning up, a janitor moping the floors, and Rob, the bartender, was setting down, wiped wine glasses.

"Yo, Rob, got my stuff?" I asked, walking up to him, and sitting down.

"Yeah, hold up." He went to the safe and retrieved my phone, wallet, and keys.

"Here you go, man."

"Thanks," I say, slapping a twenty on the table before leaving.

"Anytime, man," He called after me. I held up a hand for a farewell, then headed to my car.

* * *

_Utau pov~_

Humph. Ikuto didn't even come home last night. And he says _I_ wasn't thinking straight. Well neither are you, dumb ass. And to think I actually went straight home yesterday, too. I should have went out to have some of my own fun as well. Well, no use to brooding over it at home; I'm gonna go out. With that in mind, I put on some shorts then a sports hoodie. I drew the hood well over my head, leaving my face partly in the shadows if seen in the light. I put on some shades and grabbed my keys before heading out into the sunshiny weather.

I walked to the park and began to walk around it on the pathway. Since it was a weekday, there wasn't people; makes sense seeing as how they're all in school, a place where I should be at the moment. But I don't care. My grades can drop, I can quit any extracurricular activities if necessary. None of that stuff matters anymore. No... they do matter. But it's just all so confusing. Arrghh!

I immediately began to run in a full-out sprint. I'm not much of a sprinter, but a marathon runner; however, I don't care. At the moment, all I cared about was dispelling all of this confusion away in one burst. I sprinted the full length of the park, finally coming to a stop after running a full circle around. Thankfully, there was a bench nearby so I sat on it to catch my breath. After my breathing returned to normal, I removed my sunglasses and stared up at the trees.

They were swaying to and fro, in time with the wind. A couple leaves blew down and one landed on my hand. I looked at it with scrutiny, noticing the places where the leaf abruptly changed colors, where all the wrinkles are, and how loud it crunched under my foot when I stepped on it. It wasn't quite loud, so I gathered them all in a pile and jumped up and down on them, making loud crunching sounds. I began laughing, God knows why. It was just so much fun for some reason.

_"Things come, things go_

_but the fun will always sway, to and fro._

_Seeing all these days go by_

_Will I ever see a heart,_

_that will say goodbye?_

_A heart,_

_that will mend itself_

_without much intel_

_is not much of a mend_

_at all,"_

I sang, making up my lyrics as I go along. But my eyes; they began to water, tears threatening to spill out.

"You have a beautiful voice, Utau-chan." My entire being froze, the next line cutting off abruptly. Not turning around to avoid that stranger seeing the tears in my eyes, I said a cold,"Go away," to whoever it was, and began to leave.

But his hand caught my arm and grasped it firmly. I gasped in mild surprise, and began to yank my arm free of his strong grip.

"Let me go!"

"... why are you crying?" I turned around to face the voice, only to see Kukai's emerald eyes staring down on me.

"I'm not." A stray tear betrayed my cold voice as it trickled down my cheek. He used his other hand to gently wipe the droplet away.

"Liar," He said.

"Why the hell are you here anyway?" I accused, finally yanking my arm free of his hand. He put up his hands in self-defense.

"Hey, I'm not the one skipping school. My classes don't start till 10, so I thought I'd get some jogging done before going. What's _your_ excuse for skipping school?"

" 'Cuz I don't give a damn anymore," I say, crossing my arms across my chest defiantly.

"Is that so?"

"Yes," I say, firmly.

"Then I guess you don't care if I throw away all your previous homework and classwork," He says, revealing my backpack from behind his back.

"W-why do you have my stuff?!"

"Oh, I have ways," Kukai said simply.

"Why does everyone I ask, say that," I muttered incoherently to myself.

"So? Are you gonna stop me?"

I scoffed.

"Go ahead, see if I care."

"Then I guess I'll also take the liberty of throwing away all your notebooks. You don't mind, _right_?" He provoked, holding them over the trash can I never knew was there.

I bit my lip to hold off my protest. Since I didn't say anything, he let go, and everything fell into the garbage can with a resounding thump. I held back the need to cringe.

"Still don't care?"

"Yeah." But I wasn't so sure anymore; I felt my voice waver.

"Since you're so sure, I guess you don't need these textbooks anymore either," He then tossed my textbooks to join my notebooks in the lovely party called the garbage.

"Nope," I said, getting more and more irritated.

"Then I guess you don't need your track jersey anymore," He said, about to throw away the red team jersey I worked my butt off for.

"Stop!" I shouted, snatching the jersey out of his hands and hugging it close to my chest.

He didn't seem at all surprised at my actions.

"So, let me ask you again; do you still care?"

I looked away from him and mumbled a soft," Yes."

"That's what I thought," Kukai said. What he said just ticked me off a bit.

"So why do _you_ care so much? Why do you care if I care or not? Why are you acting like such a know it all?" I jabbed a finger at his chest. It was surprisingly firm.

"Have you ever wondered why Ikuto acts the way he does?"

"Don't answer my question with another question!" I shout, getting more and more irritated by the second.

"... I care, because I don't want you falling down the wrong path; because you're you," He says. In that moment, he looked his age for once; tall, muscular, and handsome. Wait what? Did I just call him handsome in my mind?

"Well don't bother. I can decide my own life," I said. I then tossed my hood back on, and walked away.

"Wait. Don't you want your stuff back?"

I turned back to find all of my textbooks and notebooks in my backpack.

"I thought you threw all that away," I said flatly, taking the strap.

"Looks can be deceiving," He said, smiling. I saw the "garbage can" next to him, and realized it was completely empty; clean, in fact. This bastard; he tricked me.

"Huh. Not bad. You better watch your back, someone's got a vendetta," I say, smirking at him. He smirked right back at me.

"Bring it on, Utau-chan."

"Just Utau is fine."

"Okay then. Utau, do you need a ride to school?"

"Well, it beats walking," I say, shrugging.

* * *

_Ikuto pov~_

"... Where have you been _this_ time?" Nagi asked me.

"Went to a club last night to blow off some steam," I answered, phone to my ear as I was driving. You see, I was going to go home when he suddenly called me. I answered it, then began driving.

"_And_?"

"... I met this girl...and we-"

"Suddenly ended up in a bed, am I right?" I stopped at a red light and sighed.

"Yeah. But we didn't... do _it_... I know, since only my shirt was taken off," I explained, turning into the street I lived on.

"Aren't you lucky," Nagi said sarcastically.

"Man, what's the big deal?" I say, getting out of the car.

"You need to learn to grow up, Ikuto," I look up to find Nagi standing right in front of my door.

"Why are you at my house?"

"Kukai and I came over to see if you were home. Since he found Utau's backpack still here, he went off to find her."

"That girl ditched school? Never thought I'd see that day come," I said, shaking my head. But I couldn't stop the smirk from spreading across my face.

"If you're such a _caring_ older brother, why aren't you ever home?"

"Pssshhh, like she needs _my_ help," I scoffed.

"She _does_. You haven't noticed, have you? All the things she started to do."

"Oh, and I'm sure _you_ totally have," I said, voice dripping with sarcasm.

"I _care_ about you two, Ikuto! Can't you see she's vying for your attention?!"

"Give-me-a-break! The second I begin to care, she pushes me away!"

"She wants you to go after her! Don't you understand your _own_ sister?!"

"I dropped her off at school and made sure she got excused for the morning."

We both turned around to find Kukai standing there. In all of our yelling, neither of us noticed him come up the street and park his car.

"Did you tell him yet?" Kukai asked Nagi.

"Yeah, but his head is too thick to even comprehend," Nagi said, frustrated.

"You know what, I'm done with this," I said, throwing my hands up and walking inside my house. I marched right upstairs into my room.

"You can't run away from this, Ikuto," Nagi said, following me. I pretended not to hear him as I grabbed my violin and some blank pages. I then stormed downstairs, back outside.

"Where do you think you're going?" Kukai asked as I reappeared in the doorway. After Nagi caught up to my fast pace, I locked the front door and climbed into my car.

"You can't run away from this, Ikuto!" Nagi repeated as I drove away.

I didn't care where I went. I just knew, I had to get out of there; had to go somewhere quiet to think. To ponder. To sort out the tangled up mess, called my life. It felt as if a light bulb appeared in my head as I began thought of the perfect place to go at the moment. No noises, no disturbances, no unnatural sounds.

The lake.

After parking in a "parking spot", I grabbed my violin and walked up to the ledge that overlooked the entire place. The lake was a ways away, and I realized that it would be too long of a round trip there, so I decided to play where I was right now.

This song was lilting, soothing; almost calm. It had varying dynamics, ranging from high to low. The melody I played, was yet again, sad; but this time, with a hint of confusion. Confusion at the present, caused by the past. The attempt at achieving happiness, and utterly failing. But still unable to give up the thin strand of hope. After playing, I set it down in the case, then sat on a nearby rock, overlooking the beautiful sight of nature.

Utau... whatever happened to you? It seemed like just a couple of years ago you still clung to me, never letting me go. But after I began middle school, everything changed. was it something I did? Or did it happen just recently? Because it feels like she just started being a party girl. I don't remember ever seeing it happen before... but is that because I haven't really noticed or paid any attention to her recently?

"Is everything wrong here, my fault?" I whispered to myself, rubbing my temples.

No. It's not. Arrgghh! Too much thinking. Since when did I begin to care? ... Since when did I _stop_ caring? Have I always cared?

"Shut up, already," I told myself, getting up. I guess I will be taking that walk to the lake.

* * *

_Utau pov~_

I arrived at school at about lunchtime, and I hurriedly bought some food, then wolfed it down. Sorry, I'm just famished.

"Woah Utau-chi, you ate that sandwich pretty fast..." Yaya said, slowing backing away from me, as if fearful I might eat her next. You know, I totally would consider that, seeing as how I could eat a bear right now.

"Sorry, I'm just really hungry," I said, sheepishly.

"It's all good! Anyway, where were you this morning? You didn't show up for class," Yaya asked.

"Uhhhhh.. I had some family issues to attend to," I said quickly, remembering the excuse Kukai gave to the attendance lady.

_Mini Flashback~_

_"So why is this young woman so late?" She asked, pushing her eyeglasses up the bridge of her nose._

_"You see, her parents had an awful fight, and they were her primary caretakers. her brother already left for his own schooling, and it was already around 9am, seeing as how her parents overslept," Kukai explained._

_"If they overslept, why didn't you just wake them up?" She asked, turning on me._

_"Uhhhhh..."_

_"She was told never to wake them or else she would be punished," Kukai said._

_"Ahhh, I see. So young man, why do you know everything about someone else's family life?"_

_"I'm a close friend of her brother's, and I tend to look out for them," He says, smiling sheepishly._

_"Awww, how sweet of you. Don't worry Hoshina-san. I'll get you clearance. Just go get some lunch right now," The lady promised._

_"Thank you," I say, then walk out the door with Kukai behind me. _

_"I'll be back to pick you up after school ends. Until then, don't do anything stupid," He says, patting my head gently, then leaving._

"Utau-chi? Helllllooooooooo~" Yaya said, waving a hand in front of my face.

"Huh?" I said, blinking. My friends all looked at me, half of them confused, the other half with worry etched onto their faces.

"Sorry, I was just thinking about some things. Oh, look at the time, I need to go get my books. See you guys later."

But in fact, it was a little early for me to be leaving the lunch table. After retrieving my textbooks, I began to meander around the halls aimlessly. Why... would Kukai help me so much? What did I ever do to deserve such kindness? Lately, he's been there for me, for some reason. He even said he was going to pick me up from school. Usually, that's Ikuto's job. But seeing how I'm angry at him lately, I started walking home more.

... Is Ikuto putting Kukai up to this, knowing that I would just ignore him? At that thought, I suddenly became mad; but with a hint of sadness.

"Utau-chan!" I turned around and saw Amu standing there with her friends.

"Hey, Amu," I greeted. She bid goodbye to her friends then joined me on my aimless walking around the school.

"Where were you yesterday?" Amu asks. I suppress the urge to make a sarcastic remark. Does it matter to you where I was yesterday?

"...I went home. Why do you ask?" I ask, keeping the suspicion out of my voice.

"I was just wondering," She says, shrugging. Neither of us are willing to reveal our ulterior motives.

"Utau, where've you been? We've looked all over for you," A guy voice says. I turn around to see my other friends: Jason, Jake, and Shin. Jason has dark brown hair and wears the school uniform coolly, like Shin. But Shin has red hair. Jake is more elegant and proper by wearing his uniform correctly, and keeping his hair neat, while the other two prefer the unkempt, just out of bed look. Reminds me a lot of Ikuto.

Recently, when I just wander around the halls, I see them and then we just start talking, since we are classmates.

"Hey guys! Where are Haruka, Scar, and Riko? Aren't they always with you?" I ask.

"They left us for some 'girl talk'. Beats me where they went," Jake said, flipping his hair back cooly with a toss of his head.

"Utau, you know?" Amu asks me.

"Uh, yeah, they're my classmates," I say.

"You wanna go chill somewhere before class starts?" Shin asks.

"Yeah, why not? Sorry Amu, I gotta go," I say before following the guys.

"So what's up?" I say, striking up a conversation.

"Nothing much. We were planning on hitting up a club this weekend."

"We were thinking that if you enjoyed going with the girls, you would come with us," Jake said.

"Oh yeah, you guys weren't invited last time," I say, laughing.

"Hey, I tried to go, but Riko wouldn't let me," Jason said, pouting.

"No one told you to listen to your girlfriend," Shin put in.

"You try saying no to Scar! I bet you ten bucks you can't," He said.

"You wanna go?" Shin said.

"Sure. If you can refuse a request from Scar, I'll cover for you for a day if you choose to cut school. But if I win, you bow before me," Jason said, smirking.

"Guys-"

"Deal." The two shook hands, evil smiles on both their faces.

"Those two never know when to stop, do they?" Jake said, shaking his head. I just laughed.

"I have ten bucks on Jason," I declared.

"So, we hitting the club?" Jake asks, diverting everyone's attention.

"Yeah sure. When?"

* * *

_Ikuto pov~_** (A.N.: Sorry for so much pov switching .)**

_Meet me at the café at five. Needa talk. -Amu_

I raised my eyebrows and looked at the clock. Currently 4:45pm. I should go now then. I rolled off the couch and jumped onto my feet. Utau still hasn't come home from school yet, which is unusual. In about ten minutes, I arrived at the café with five minutes to spare. Getting restless, I just bought a latte and sat down in one of the booths, enjoying the taste of it.

"Ikuto!" I turned around and found Saki standing there with her friends.

"Hey Saki. What are you doing here?" I ask, standing up and walking to her.

"Nothing much, just getting coffee with some friends."

"Ohhhh~ Are you Saki's new boyfriend?" Her friends gushed.

"Yeah," I said, taking her hand in mine.

"Could we talk? It's important," I asked.

"I guess we shall leave you two in peace~" They said, squealing about how hot I was.

"So, what did you want to talk about?"

"I'm sorry. But I think we should break up." I let go of her hand. She stilled, practically shocked by what I just uttered.

"W-what? Why? Was it something I did?"

"N-no! It's not you. It's just..." I sighed heavily.

"I'll see you around," I say, then leave the café. I leave quickly to avoid hearing her cry. I opened the door and find Amu standing there in front of the window.

"You broke up with her huh?" She says, leaning on the store window.

"... You saw, didn't you?" I ask, turning away.

"Only gestures, but it was enough to explain the story."

"So why'd you call me out today? Wanted someone to buy you coffee?" I asked, returning to my usual self.

"No, I-"

"You wanted to go out with me?" I smirked, beginning to lean in. Then Amu backhanded me across the face. I stepped back, appalled at her actions. No one had ever rejected me. No one.

"What's your problem, Ikuto?! You just broke up with your girlfriend, yet you're already gonna hit on another girl?! Snap out of it! Is this who you really want to be the rest of your life?! A player, a cheater, and someone who never cared for his sister?! Open your eyes for God's sake!" At that, she ran away.

I just stood there, in the ending position of when she slapped me. I could still feel my cheek stinging and I put a hand up to my face. It was turning red. At that moment, I realized I never checked my earlier messages. I whipped out my phone and found two unread messages.

_9:40pm Utau wont reply bac my texts ._

_11:26pm Ikuto... recently I've noticed that Utau has been leaving her group of friends early. she ends up hanging out with a bunch of guys_

... I never learn, do I? Why didn't I realize that Utau wasn't acting like herself? When did I stop caring about her? When did things start to go wrong?

**AN: Yeah... I'm finding it hard to write good chapters now... I'm sorry if this chapter wasn't to your liking T^T It's been kinda confusing, dealing with the structure of this story, the plot, etc... I'll try to update a little more before I go on vacation though ^^. Yes, vacation. Thanks for reading, and I'll see you all next time~**


	6. Chapter 6

**AN: Hai hai ^^ 'Kay, this chapter is going to be about Ikuto's past~ But not all of it. And I realize that the last chapter was meh, so I wanted to update a little bit earlier than usual. I might get in another chapter before leaving for vacation ^^ 'Cuz I'm not sure if I'm going to have internet access, and time, to write fanfic there. So the next chapter may be a bit longer than the rest, just to make up for the cough cough 4 weeks cough cough, that I won't be here ^^ But we'll get to that in the next AN. **

**For now, just enjoy the story~ Kick back, and relax.**

_Utau is four, Ikuto is ten_

_"Ikuto-kun, watch Utau-chan, Okaa-san is going to work now! Come close the door!" My mother shouted from the doorway._

_"Hai," I said, running to the door. She bent down to give me a kiss on the forehead, which I shied away from._

_"Be good now," She says, before leaving. I wave goodbye as I closed the door. I headed back to the living room and turned on the t.v. There wasn't much to watch on a Sunday afternoon, so I just flipped through the channels for a good twenty minutes._

_"Onii-chan, I'm bored! Can we play a game?" A four-year-old Utau said. She appeared at my side, tugging on my shirt with her small fingers._

_"Alright, what game do you wanna play?" I asked, turning the t.v. off._

_"Hide and seek!" Utau shouted with glee, eyes sparkling._

_"Sure, you go hide."_

_"Kay!" She shouted, then ran off._

_"One, two, three..."_

_The sounds of her footsteps could still be heard as she struggled to find a decent hiding place._

_"Six, seven, eight, nine, ten. Ready or not, here I come."_

_I opened my eyes and began to look for her. It wasn't that hard, seeing as how she was giggling when hiding behind the bathroom door._

_"You found me!" She would say, then she would start laughing while I just smiled._

_"Again, again!"_

_"Fine, fine."_

_"This time, count to a hundred!"_

_"A hundred?" I asked, almost incredulously._

_"Onii-chan~" She said, pouting._

_"Alright, just go and hide already," I grumbled._

_"Yay!"_

_"One, two, skip a few, ninety-nine, one-hundred!" I sang, then opened my eyes to find Utau attempting to squeeze herself underneath the couch cushions without making them seem to be too bulky. She looked up at me, surprise on her face._

_"Hey! That doesn't count!"_

_"You said a hundred, so that's what I did," I said, smirking._

_"Mou~" She groaned, trying to get out of her dilemma._

_"Need some help there?" I ask, pulling her out of the couch with ease and replacing it with the cushions._

_"Ikuto, I'm hungry~" She complained, stomach growling in unison._

_I rolled my eyes._

_"Come on, let's go eat some of Mom's fried noodles," I said, ushering her into the kitchen._

_At Night~_

_"Ikuto, your father and I aren't going to be home tonight, so make sure you and Utau get plenty of rest and get to school on time tomorrow."_

_"Okay. When will you two be back? Tomorrow afternoon?" I say, hopefully._

_"Your father is still in America for his tour, but I can come back and make you guys some food before getting back to work. We just got some new, important clients, so I can't be home right now."_

_"Oh... Okay," I say._

_"Tell Utau-chan Okaa-san loves her. Miss you Ikuto, good night," She says, before hanging up quickly._

_"... Good night," I say, even though she already hung up._

_"Utau, mom and dad are busy, you should go to bed," I tell her. She's just sitting in her bed, holding the covers in her petite hands as she waited for mother and father. The mother and father who would never show up to wish their children a good night's rest._

_She turns her head to look at me, her violet orbs filled with sadness._

_"But onii-chan, I can't fall asleep without them," she says, looking at her hands in embarrassment._

_"I'll read you a bedtime story," I offered, picking up one of her many picture books from her mini desk._

_"Really?" She exclaimed, eyes beaming with excitement._

_"C'mon, get under the covers already," I say, throwing the covers over her head and pulling a chair up to sit on._

_"Mou, nii-san," She grumbled, nevertheless, with a smile on her innocent face._

_"Once upon a time, there was a princess who was always alone. Though she had siblings, she could never truly feel relieved of her loneliness. Her parents were often off doing more important tasks of running the kingdom. As she grew up, one by one, her siblings left her, eventually leaving her truly alone. Why? Why did everyone leave me? She would wonder. No, it was not because she was ugly. No, it was not because she was short, untalented, or snotty._

_It is mainly the unfairness of life. To fix this-" I heard a small snore as I realized that Utau became fast asleep. I lightly stroked her hair, and her cheek as I smiled at the sight of her sleeping form._

* * *

_After I made sure Utau was in her kindergarten class, I headed to the elementary section of the academy._

_"Look, there he is. Tsukiyomi Ikuto."_

_"It's Ikuto."_

_"Tsukiyomi Ikuto."_

_I ignored all the whispers of awe and surprise as I walked nonchalantly down the hallway._

_"Did you know? His father is the famous violinist, Tsukiyomi Aruto."_

_"And did you hear? His sister also goes to this school, Tsukiyomi Utau."_

_"She's an amazing singer. I heard that their mother used to be a famous singer, but quit to work for a magazine company."_

_The bell rang and everyone took their seats. As the teacher took roll, I looked out the window, boredom clearly evident on my face._

_"His hair is such a pretty blue!" Some girls gushed._

_"Quiet over there!" The teacher said, strictly._

_At lunch, I would just sit outside and lean against a tree. Everyone treated me as an "amazing figure", one worthy of the eminence of a famous person, like my father._

_Because of our family's wealth, we attended a high-class school. Other than the regular core classes, we can choose another elective, so, I chose music. When the bell rang, I headed to the music room where I stowed my violin. Seeing no one around at the moment, I quickly unpacked my violin and went into a sound proof room to practice. There, I would play a sad melody, swaying in time to the music. Many times I have opened my eyes only to catch a glimpse of my classmates listening and watching me play in awe, as I closed my eyes again to ignore their gaping mouths._

_Even if the bell rang, I would continue to play on my own. My father spoke with the teacher, and I was allowed to do as I pleased during class because of his status; as long as it pertained to playing the violin. I remember how I used to hate the violin. It would squeak and squawk, and everyone expected me to be just like my father. But over time, I came to love it as well; because it was my only solace._

_After playing my song, I packed up my things, slung my violin over my shoulder, and left the classroom as the teacher was taking roll. Since the kindergarten section usually leaves class at 1 in the afternoon, __I went to that section of the academy, and took Utau home._

* * *

_Ikuto is thirteen, Utau is seven_

_"Yo, Ikuto, wanna join us? We're going to have some fun," Three boys in my class said, smirking. I smirked back._

_"Sure."_

_After school, we lingered around the school entrance, apparently waiting for something._

_"Dude, what're we waiting for?" I complained._

_"The right girl," my friend told me, smirking yet again. Then, a girl with beautiful blond hair walked past us, and he began flirting. Soon enough, all of the other guys were flirting as well, as I just stood there, hands shoved into my pockets until a girl walks up to me._

_"Hey, are you busy right now?"_

_"Not really. Why?"_

_"You wanna go hang out? There's this really good ice cream store nearby."_

_That's when I took a good look at her face. She was gorgeous and extremely angelic. She had curly brown hair with a bow in it, giving her a cutesy look._

_"Uh, yeah, let's go now," I said, almost stuttering._

_"Hey guys, I'm gonna go," I tell them. They just whistled and whooted, cheering me on for getting a hot girl. I quickly ushered her off campus before my friends could see the slight blush on my face._

_We walked to that new store, and bought ice cream. I found out her name was Anna. She was really kind, and quite popular actually. But I never really noticed before. Her asking me that day, was the start of our relationship as boyfriend and girlfriend; my first love. The scene of us walking home together after getting that ice cream, hand in hand, just replays over and over again in my head._

* * *

_Ikuto is fifteen, Utau is nine_

_"Mom, Dad, I want to switch schools," I said one day. It was a Sunday night when I walked into my mother's office. They were talking to each other in soft voices before I showed up._

_"Why, Honey?" My mother inquired._

_"Just cuz," I said, shrugging._

_"Hmmmm... in that case, Utau-chan needs to switch with you," My mother said, after some thought._

_"She's nine, she doesn't need to follow me around everywhere," I said brusquely._

_"Ikuto, she's your sister. You have to take care of her," My father, Aruto, lightly admonished._

_"Then she can go to the school near mine," I suggested._

_"Hmm... Alright, if that's really what you want," My mother said, giving in to my request._

_"No! I don't want to go to a different school than onii-chan!" We all looked at the door to find a seven-year-old Utau dressed in pj's._

_"But honey, this is a good opportunity for you too," My mother persuaded._

_"No!" Utau said stubbornly._

_"Utau, you can't always cling on me."_

_I walk over to her and pick her up. She refuses to look at me, but lets me carry her otherwise._

_"Onii-chan really wants this chance. He will still take care of you, so it's okay," I cooed._

* * *

_"You're gonna get it now, bastard."_

_I felt pain erupt throughout my entire being, and blood beginning to drip-_

* * *

I woke up with a start, sweat dripping off my face. I could feel my back covered with it as I yanked off the covers.

"What time is it..." I muttered to myself. I looked up at the clock to see that it was about one in the morning.

"Goddammit, where the hell is Utau?" I asked aloud, heading to the bathroom. After leaving the café, I went home and searched the house, finding no signs of life. I tried calling her once again, but she didn't pick up. Feeling extremely frustrated, I plopped down on my head and decided to close my eyes for a minute. It became a long nap instead.

Then, my phone began to ring. I immediately checked the caller ID to find that it was my sister.

"Utau?! Where are you?"

"It's Kukai. She's at my house right now."

"Okay, I'm on my way."

In ten minutes, I arrived at Kukai's house. Utau was sleeping on the couch, a blanket covering her still form. I removed my shoes at the door and threw my coat off. Noticing that Utau was safe, I sighed in relief and relaxed.

"Where did she go after school?" I asked, looking at Kukai. He still stood at the doorway from where he let me in.

"Another club."

"Goddammit Utau, stop getting yourself into trouble," I said, sitting on the adjacent couch. Kukai mumbles something that I can't hear.

"You say something Kukai?"

"I said don't screw with me! 'Stop getting yourself in trouble;' is that something an older brother should be saying to his little sister? You should be helping her! You should be trying to steer her clear of the wrong path!"

"She's not a child, Kukai. She can decide what she wants to do with her life," I say curtly.

"Stop lying to yourself and open your eyes!" He walks over to me and bunches up my shirt with his fist.

"Put me down."

"When are you going to realize all the mistakes you have made? When are you going to stop running away? When are you going to start growing up for God's sake?"

"I said, put me down."

"One would think that you would've matured after graduating high school and moving on to college. But it seems you've gone the other direction instead!"

"I said, put me down." My voice rose every time I said it.

"Guess you're just a good for nothing playboy who gets whatever he wants cuz his daddy isn't here to say no!"

I punched Kukai square in the face.

"I said: PUT. ME. DOWN." My eyes felt like they were burning holes into Kukai's back as he doubled over in pain.

"*Cough*, guess you've never learned what true love is, huh?" He said, grimacing as he looked up at me. My fists clenched, making my knuckles almost white.

"True love? Yeah, I guess you're right; I'm a man of no love. Just an emotionless shell, someone who rid himself of emotions years ago. Got a problem with that?" I said, storming out the door.

_Kukai pov~_

I watched Ikuto storm out of my house.

"W-wait,-" I said, attempting to stand up, but falling over from the effort. He really packs a hard punch.

"Leave him."

"Utau? You awake?" I turn to face Utau on the couch, who rolls over to face me.

"Who could sleep in all that yelling?" She says, sitting up and stretching.

"Sorry. I couldn't smack any sense into him," I apologized, head down.

_Flashback~_

_I stood at the entrance of Utau's school and watched as everyone left when the bell rang. Hoards of people filed out of the school, and the chit-chat of high schoolers filled the air._

_"Where the heck is Utau?" I muttered to myself._

_"If you're looking for Utau, she already left out the back."_

_I looked down to find Rima standing in front of me._

_"Really? Where is she going?"_

_"I don't know, but she was with all those guys, so probably a club."_

_"Thanks, Mashiro-chan," I said before dashing to my car and driving around to the back of the school._

_I couldn't find her, so I began driving around town. I searched the mall, the stores, everywhere. It was about 4pm when I had to stop and rest. I tried calling her for the umpteenth time, and again, it went straight to voice mail._

_"You've got to be kidding me," I muttered, running a hand through my hair out of frustration. Don't tell me... they went to another club? At that epiphany, I started up my car and drove to the nearest club. Finding no one there, I began to search the other clubs as well. There were only a couple in this city, and they couldn't have gotten very far, could they?_

_At the last club, I found her. She was sitting next to another guy in the corner of the bar. It seemed like he was flirting with her, and she was trying to scoot away from him, to no avail. _

_"If you wanna play hard ball, I'll give it to you," I said, folding back the cuffs of my collared shirt. I loosened the neck tie, undid the neatly folded creases of the shirt and ruffled my hair tremendously, giving myself a hot and rebellious look as I sauntered over to Utau._

_I picked up her hand and kissed it._

_"Would you like a drink milady? Or do you want something more?" I teased, yanking her out of the other's man's grasp and twirling her around. When I dipped her, her eyes widened as she saw the closeness between our faces, especially our lips, which were no more than one centimeter apart. She blushed profusely._

_"Yo, find another girl. She's mine." The other guy came up and took her hand, gently yanking her away from me. But I tightened my grip, refusing to let go._

_"No, I'm pretty sure she'd rather be with _me_ than _you_," I said, gesturing at his frame. Then I purposely puffed back my shoulders, and straightened my back, gaining an inch or two of height._

_"C'mon, why don't we go somewhere more private?" I asked Utau, winking at her._

_"O-okay," She complied, letting herself be dragged along. ...It feels like she doesn't even recognize me... I led her to a room and gently pushed her against the wall. When she was dazed, I pounced by wrapping my arms around her waist and leaning in for a kiss. I almost kissed her before she gasped and pushed me away._

_"K-kukai!" _

_"You finally noticed it was me, huh? What would you have done if it wasn't me? Just follow any hot guy that hit on you?" I scolded._

_"W-what are you doing here?" _

_"I told you, didn't I? I was gonna pick you up, and that you weren't supposed to do anything stupid while I was gone."_

_"I don't remember..." Something's not right here... Since when was Utau such a ditz?_

_"Come with me." _

_I dragged her out to the car and sat her in the passenger seat. I then drove us to the nearest hospital and took her inside. I told the receptionist I needed to see a doctor, and she ushered me into the next available room and we waited for she/he to come. It turns out, she's been taking drugs. This type of drug makes you forgetful and guilty as an after effect. But it lets you reach new levels of consciousness you've never experienced before. The doctor said that the effects will ware off soon, and that she should just go home and get some rest. _

_And sure enough, on the car ride home, her usual self began to come back. It was as if she were waking from a deep sleep. _

_"Mhm? Kukai? Where are we?" She said softly, rubbing her eyes._

_"We're going to my house right now," I replied, turning into my driveway._

_"... Wait... wasn't I..." Then her entire being froze as she began to remember events that happened only hours ago. _

_"Yeah. You were at a club again." I bit my lip from shouting at her... at least not yet._

_"Come, let's go inside and talk there." _

_I opened the front door and ushered her into the living room. Utau plopped down on the couch and lay there, rubbing away another headache._

_"Some water?" I called from the kitchen._

_"Sure."_

_I handed her a glass of water and sat down on the other couch. After she drank it, she set it on the coffee table between us._

_"So, tell me why you decided to go to a club even after I specifically told you not to?" I asked, my voice growing dangerously low from anger and worry._

_"_You're_ not the boss of me; I can do whatever I want," She replied, crossing her arms across her chest stubbornly._

_"If it were anyone else that hit on you in that club, you'd be God knows where right now! Can't you think a little more rationally and realize that the people around you are worried about you?!" I shout, standing up._

_"Care about me? Care about, _me_? Hah, you're funny Kukai, because the last time I checked, no one does! Why should I give a damn about what others think about me? I'm my own person, I'm perfectly capable of making my own decisions!" She retorted, standing up as well._

_"All around you, there are people who care about you: your friends, family, and heck, Ikuto cares about you more than any of them!"_

_"Heh, you haven't even taken one step in my shoes, don't act as though you know everything. My family never cared since the beginning. Hell, I rarely see them since they're always off traveling and living their lives at work. And Ikuto stopped caring. Long ago..." _

_"... Why are you acting out like this? You used to be so cheerful, so bright..." I said with nostalgia._

_"Like you would know-"_

_"I do." I pulled out a picture from my wallet and showed it to her._

_"When I first met Ikuto, he dropped his wallet one time, and I handed it back to him. That's when I noticed this picture; a picture of you and him together, with the rest of your family. You... were so happy in that picture. He never said any more than, 'That's my sister.' But anyone could tell, that he truly cared for you. Hehe. It becomes quite easy to see through his nonchalance once you're around him enough," I laughed, feeling a sudden reverie overcome me. But that was as gone as it came, and I became serious again._

_I then walked up to her, and took her hand._

_"And, I care about you too."_

_Tears could be seen streaming down her cheeks as she fervently wiped at them. She then yanked her hand out of my grasp._

_"What am I supposed to do when Ikuto comes home with a different girl every night? When he tells me to stay home by myself when he goes partying in clubs till 4 in the morning?! And friends? What are friends? They're just people who act nice, and take more than they give. They even take advantage of each other too! And _no one_, takes advantage of me. They always act all friendly, and other people buy it! They ditch each other for other activities or friends, and never get mad at each other. And yet... they're still friends. Haha, they're still friends. Am _I_ the weird one then?_ _Am I weird for _caring_ about these kinds of things? I... I don't understand anything anymore..."_

_Then Utau really began sobbing. She had started out yelling, but as she said more and more, her tears increased, and gradually, the last of_ _her rant was barely coherent as she sank to her knees and buried her face into her hands. I couldn't take any more of this, so I wrapped my arms around her, hugging her tight as she sobbed loudly._

_"Why.. *sobs* is life so lonely? Did I... *hic* ask for too much?" Utau sobs. I just shushed her and murmured that it was okay, over and over and over again. She clung to me tightly as she cried into my shirt. After a while, her sobs died down and she was fast asleep._

**AN: That ending was so sad T^T Utau is so confused about everything. I just realized... this chapter was like, 90% flashbacks, lol. At least the structure of the story is nice~ So, did you like it? Did I manage to make one of you guys (or girls) cry for our protagonists? You did? I'm flattered ^^. Anyways, hope you're all having a happy, fun summer! See you all next time, and thanks for reading! ^^**


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